The Candy Cane
by the ramblin rose
Summary: Caryl, AU. Oneshot. Daryl got them both an early Christmas present.


**AN: I feel like I need to apologize for this one. It's mostly smut. It's a little smuffy, though, since anyone who knows me knows that my smut must come with fluff. Consider this your warning.**

**This was inspired by some bad influences who know who they are.**

**I own nothing from the Walking Dead.**

**I hope that you enjoy! Let me know what you think! **

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Carol sat on the bed, her knees tucked under her, with the box in front of her. It was wrapped in red and white paper—very poorly wrapped—and Daryl had stuck a red bow on top of it.

He'd practically plowed her down when she'd gotten home to kiss her and tell her that he had a surprise planned for her after dinner. To sweeten the pot, he'd been responsible for dinner and had presented her with the meal that he'd picked up. A box of chicken and a few sides was a welcomes meal on a Friday—especially if it meant she didn't have to cook and the dishes were disposable.

Daryl liked surprising her with treats. It was something she'd never been accustomed to before she met him. Before she met him, she'd made the terrible mistake of ending up married to a man who surprised her with broken fingers and busted lips more often than he surprised her with anything else. Maybe it was her experiences with her ex-husband, Ed, that made her appreciate Daryl all that much more. Daryl was the kind of man who surprised her with dinner, pampered her with foot massages, and gifted her with presents that he thought she would enjoy.

And, whether or not she was always thrilled with his gifts, she always pretended to be absolutely in love with them. It meant a lot to Daryl that she was happy—and that meant a lot to her. She could pretend to like his gifts—no matter what they ended up being—just to make him happy. Because Daryl, without a doubt, would always come through for her and, in the end, make her happier than she ever dreamed of being.

"It's not Christmas," Carol said, staring at the wrapped package.

Daryl was practically caging around the bedroom.

"Do you think I don't know it ain't Christmas yet?" Daryl asked. "We just put the tree up yesterday."

"I thought we were going to decorate the tree," Carol said, setting the gift aside.

"Tomorrow," Daryl said. "Gotta let it settle." He stepped closer to the bed. Close enough that he could push the present back in front of Carol. "Go ahead. Open it."

"I don't have anything for you," Carol said.

"There's gonna be plenty in there for me if you'll open the box," Daryl said.

"It's something for both of us?" Carol asked. Daryl hummed and nodded his head. Carol laughed to herself, a little nervously. "What'd you get?"

"Open it an' see," Daryl urged.

They had been together about a year. They were talking about marriage. A family, even. Carol already assumed that this year, knowing Daryl, there would be a ring under the Christmas tree. She already knew that she would say yes. She couldn't imagine her life without him.

This box, though, was far too big for a ring and was something else that Daryl had purchased for them to enjoy together.

Carol had been the only woman that Daryl had ever dated or been romantically involved with in any way. He was sensitive and he'd seen things in his life that broke Carol's heart. In many ways, he was still so innocent. Everything, for Daryl, was magical when they did it together. So, he'd taken her pumpkin picking and he'd taken her on a hayride. He'd taken her to the beach and he'd rented jet skis for them to ride together. He made everything feel like something special and wonderful—and Carol couldn't imagine ever letting go of him.

But she knew that Daryl, because he got excited about everything that they could possibly share together, was also something of a wild card.

Carol sighed, accepted that she would be happy with whatever was in the box if it killed her, and tore at the wrapping paper. Beneath the paper, she found an ordinary brown box.

"What is this?" She asked.

"Jesus!" Daryl declared, laughing to himself. "Open it! It's a box, Carol. You seen one of them before?"

Carol laughed to herself and rolled her eyes to him.

"Asshole," she said. "Of course, I've seen a box before."

She slid her finger under the side of the box's lid, found that nothing was holding it down, and flipped it open. Inside, nestled in some tissue paper that had been wadded in there rather willy-nilly, she found the first of several pieces to a present nestled into the paper nest.

Carol stared at the red and white item that looked like an extremely garish—and naughty—glass candy cane.

"Daryl…is this…?"

"You like it?" Daryl asked. He practically threw himself onto the end of the bed so that he could close the distance between them. He pulled the present out of the box and brandished it like a weapon. "It's pretty damn festive, huh?"

"It's a—large—dildo," Carol offered.

"It's a candy cane," Daryl said, clearly pleased.

"I see that," Carol said.

"There's more," Daryl offered, pointing to the box.

Carol was almost nervous to look and see what more there might be. She rummaged around in the paper and found the two bottles that seemed to finish out Daryl's festive gift. There was a bottle of toy cleaner and a tube of lubricant—both of which advertised that they were candy cane flavored. Carol's stomach clenched a little.

"You like it, don't you?" Daryl asked.

Carol forced the best beginnings of a smile that she could.

"Oh—I—absolutely—love it," she said, forcing out the words and focusing on making them sound sincere.

Daryl looked pleased with her approval. He took the toy and disappeared to the bathroom. She heard him in there, with the water running.

"What are you doing?" Carol asked.

"Washin' it," Daryl offered. "Woman at the store said you want everything real clean. Take care of you real good. She said you were gonna like it. Said it's a Christmas favorite."

"The woman at the store, Daryl?" Carol asked.

"That place out on the highway," Daryl said. "You know I drive by it every day and I was thinkin' it could be fun—toys. Somethin' to play with. So, I stopped today. Asked her what she would want if she were you. She asked what we had already, and I said there wasn't anything here so…she helped me pick this out."

He came out of the bathroom carrying the new toy—obviously clean and ready for playtime.

He flicked his shirt over his head and came directly to the bed. He met Carol and kissed her, pushing her backward until she pulled away to unfold herself. She smiled at him. Just a simple kiss from him could relieve most of the nerves she might be feeling.

"Ain't you gonna get undressed?" Daryl asked. "Let's try it out?"

"Are you sure you're going to enjoy this?" Carol asked. "You do know what a dildo is for, right?"

"You think I'm an idiot that I can't figure out what this shit is for, Carol?" Daryl asked with a laugh. He held it up, still brandishing it like some sort of weapon.

"I mean—it would probably be better for you if it was just, you know, you…" Carol offered.

Daryl kissed her again. This time it was very purposeful. She felt something inside her tugging. Trying to get her attention. A kiss from him could get her attention any time. She cleared her throat and smiled at him when he pulled away. She could tell just by the look in his eyes that he was turned on. He licked his lips at her.

"I'm gonna be the one to play with it," Daryl offered. "Use it on you. See things from a whole new fuckin' angle, Carol. Control everything about how it feels. How you feel. And I'ma see it all."

He sounded absolutely certain that he wanted this, and his confidence—and the touch of excitement that twinkled in his eyes—made Carol a little more certain that she wanted this, too.

Carol pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it toward the floor. She'd find it later. She let her bra join it and Daryl took a moment to greet her breasts like old friends. He sucked on them, grazing her nipples gently with his teeth, before he stopped and reached for the tube of lubricant. He squeezed a glob of it out onto his finger and rubbed it over her nipples. It was cold, and she hissed at him before she moaned at the pleasure of him harassing her nipples with his fingertips.

"What are you doing?" She asked with a laugh.

"Just testing it," Daryl said. He returned his mouth to her breasts and sucked one nipple and then the other clean of the lubricant that he'd smeared onto them. It took very little prompting on Daryl's part, after that, to get Carol out of her pants and underwear. When he pushed her back onto the pillow and drew his tongue across her abdomen before he moved to kissing her thighs, Carol wondered if he'd have any real use at all for the candy cane flavored lubricant he'd bought.

But then she remembered the present he'd bought.

"Daryl—" She said.

"Hmmm?" He asked, nibbling at her thighs and holding onto her when she raised her hips in response.

"Did you notice that thing's a little—big?" Carol asked. Daryl wasn't exactly what she would have called lacking in any department. She was certain that, for all the reasons he might have been bullied throughout his life, his size had never gotten him harassed in the locker room. Still, his selection made her a little nervous.

"Mmmhhmmmm…" Daryl hummed, his hum buzzing against her as he sucked the dollop of candy cane flavored lubricant off her clit that he'd put there for his entertainment more than for anyone's actual benefit. Carol gasped in response and held onto the blanket like she might fall off the bed. Daryl stopped for a moment and entertained himself with smearing down the candy cane monstrosity with the flavored lubricant. "She said you gonna like it," Daryl assured her.

Carol wasn't sure about the prowess of the woman that had recommended the toy to Daryl, but she readjusted herself and closed her eyes, determined to do her best to entertain him.

"Just—go easy," Carol said.

Daryl nibbled at her thighs—one and then the other—until her body responded by spontaneously seeking him out. She felt the coldness of the jelly, more than anything, as Daryl pressed it against her.

"Whatever you say, woman," Daryl assured her. She made the only sound of warning that she could as he worked the candy cane—because it was the only way that she could think of his prize—into her. He stopped. "Hurt?" He asked.

"Yes and no," Carol said.

Daryl laughed to himself.

"You gotta be a bit more specific than that," he said, remaining as still as he possibly could.

"It hurts a little," Carol admitted. "But—it kind of feels good."

"Want me to stop?" He asked.

"Not yet," Carol said. "But…" she reached her hand down to work at her clit. Seeing that, Daryl pushed her hand aside and returned his mouth to the work that it was doing earlier. Slowly, Carol's brain felt like it went numb with the satisfaction of what Daryl was doing to her with his mouth. She only barely noticed the slight sting as her body adjusted to him slowly sliding the candy cane inside her. Carol moaned out at him when it had gone as far as her body could allow.

"So fuckin' hot," Daryl said. "Seein' you like this." There was a tone of absolute reverence in his voice and Carol felt her body respond to it, even though it was still adjusting to the foreign bulk of the candy cane. With his mouth away from her, she was more aware of the presence.

"You better fuck me with it," Carol said, "if that's your intention."

"That what you want?" Daryl asked. Tentatively he pulled back on the looped end that gave him something to hold onto while the rest of the red and white treat was slippery from the lubrication.

Carol opened her mouth in silent response to the sensation. Whatever discomfort she'd felt before was fading.

"You better—now that it's there," Carol said. "I need it…to move."

It was a whole new experience for Carol, but it was a new experience for Daryl as well. He gave new meaning to the word "toy" as he entertained himself, introducing more lubricant throughout the process. Carol had never expected to enjoy it so much, but there was something of a scientist in Daryl. He enjoyed experimentation. He enjoyed seeing what would happen if he did this or that. He liked discovering new outcomes.

Carol was completely unaccustomed to having her body turned into something of a science experiment, but she had no interest in complaining. Daryl teased her with speeds and angles that he was not yet skilled enough to accomplish when he was inside of her, himself, instead of merely manipulating an over-sized, glass candy cane.

What was more, he seemed to like the flavor of the lubricant, so after he'd tortured Carol to the point that every nerve ending in her body was buzzing and she was certain that she'd be sore in the most delicious way the following day, he had practically lapped her clean to prolong her torture before he'd asked permission to demand just a little more of her tired body. She had gladly welcomed him as he'd slid into her, joking about the extremely smooth entrance that so much lubricant allowed him.

She'd welcomed his hungry, candy cane flavored kisses, too.

And she'd been thoroughly and deliciously exhausted when he'd wrapped her in his arms, after all his energy was spent, and sighed as he kissed her forehead.

"Did you like it?" Daryl asked.

Carol smiled to herself.

"I think you know the answer to that," she said.

Daryl laughed to himself.

"She said you would," Daryl said.

"I don't think I like the idea of you—discussing our sex life with some little vixen at the sex toy store, Daryl," Carol offered. Daryl laughed, and this time it was a sincere laugh that shook both of them. "What?" Carol asked.

"Nothin'," Daryl said. "Don't worry about it." 

"What?" Carol asked.

"She weren't no little vixen," Daryl said. "She was damn near seventy years old. Looked like Mrs. Clause. That's why the fuck I asked her. Figured she knew the market on Christmas gifts. And hell—figured she mighta been around long enough to know what the hell was what. She looked pleased as punch, too, when I told her I wanted a Christmas toy to make you happy."

"You asked Mrs. Clause what was the best toy to fuck me with, Daryl?" Carol asked, laughing to herself.

"She ain't let us down, neither," Daryl offered. "Them Clauses got the corner market on toys."

Carol hummed in agreement.

"But did you enjoy it?" Carol asked.

"Was incredible. Seein' you like that. Bein' in control like that. Hell—kinda gives you a whole new perspective on why Santa Clause is so fuckin' jolly."

"I'm not sure I want to think about that," Carol said with a laugh. "They're kind of old."

"Had to start somewhere," Daryl offered, hugging Carol against him. She closed her eyes and snuggled into him.

"True," she said.

"Besides," Daryl said with a sigh. "I got you now—don't think I'ma give you up just 'cause we get old. We're stayin' like this—just like this—forever."

Carol smiled to herself.

"I'm counting on it," she assured him.


End file.
